Fufeng Group Launches Construction of Corn Deep-Processing Plant in Zhambyl Region
Construction of an industrial park by Fufeng Group, specializing in deep corn processing, has begun in Zhambyl Region. The launch ceremony was attended by Chairman of the Board of Fufeng Group Limited Li Xuechun, Akim of Zhambyl Region Yerbol Karashukeyev, and Director of the Projects Department of JSC “NC KAZAKH INVEST” Bauyrzhan Aitkulov.
The project is being implemented in Shu District near the JIBEK JOLY SEZ and is set to become one of the largest in Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector. The total investment amounts to $800 million, with a planned processing capacity of 1 million tons of corn per year. The first phase is scheduled for Q4 2025, with the plant reaching full capacity in 2026. The facility will produce high value-added products such as lysine, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, and feed amino acids, whose market prices are 10–15 times higher than those of raw corn.
Project infrastructure includes a starch sugar plant, three amino acid fermentation facilities, and a wastewater treatment station. In the next phase, production of chemical components such as hydrochloric acid and liquid ammonia is also planned. Products will be exported to the European Union, North Africa, and the Middle East. Fufeng Group also plans to establish long-term partnerships with local farmers by providing fertilizers, modern agro-technologies, and guaranteed off-take under contract agreements.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov noted:
"Attracting high-quality investments into processing and high value-added production is a key part of Kazakhstan’s economic agenda, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plays a systemic role in this process. The Fufeng project is a clear result of comprehensive interagency work — less than a year has passed from the first negotiations in Shanghai to the groundbreaking. This is $800 million in direct investment and 1,500 new jobs. For us, it is important not only to attract capital, but also technologies, to ensure upskilling of the local labor market and sustainable integration of investment into the regions, into real sectors, into people’s lives."
During the ceremony, Chairman of the Board of Fufeng Group Li Xuechun stated:
"The project in Kazakhstan will become an important part of our global strategy. Plants in China serve the Asian market, facilities in the United States — North and Latin America, and the future plant in Zhambyl Region will be focused on Europe."
The implementation history of this project became a showcase for the effectiveness of the targeted investment attraction approach introduced by KAZAKH INVEST in 2024. Within this approach, four priority areas were identified, including grain deep processing. The Kazakh side conducted thorough industry analysis, defined competitive advantages, and worked purposefully with potential investors. Fufeng Group became the first major project implemented under this approach.
Chairman of the Board of JSC “NC KAZAKH INVEST” Yerzhan Yelekeyev noted:
"This project will deliver not only a strong economic boost, but also play an important social role for the entire region. In addition to the jobs at the plant, Fufeng will purchase raw materials from local farmers — off-take contracts for 300,000 tons of corn in 2025 have already been signed with Kazakh agricultural producers. The future plant’s products will be used in the agro-industrial complex, as well as in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. Lysine, monosodium glutamate, xanthan gum, and other components are in demand both domestically and internationally — in livestock farming, food production, feed, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. We expect this project to become the sustainable core of a new processing ecosystem in Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial sector."
It is worth noting that the agreements on the implementation of the project in Kazakhstan were reached during the meetings of Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov at the KGIR-2024 forum and during negotiations held in Shanghai.
